Single nucleotide polymorphisms in Anopheles gambiae immune signaling genes

There are over one million deaths and 500 million cases annually of malaria, a disease caused by parasites of the genus Plasmodium that are vectored by anopheline mosquitoes. We have adopted a “disease association mapping” approach, commonly used in humans, in a novel way to determine whether single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in immune signaling genes of Anopheles gambiae are associated with P. falciparum infection. We examined the encoded conserved domains of 25 of these gene targets to determine SNP presence and subsequent predicted effects on protein function. This research can be used not only to answer important basic science questions about susceptibility under natural conditions, but also to discover genetic markers that can be used for surveillance and to develop genetically engineered mosquitoes that are refractory to parasite transmission.